Starcom elevates Esther Franklin to EVP, Director of Cultural Identities

(July 11, 2007) Esther “E.T.” Franklin has been named EVP/Director of Cultural Identities for Starcom MediaVest Group’s (SMG) multicultural unit, SMG Multicultural. The appointment was announced today by SMG Multicultural CEO Monica Gadsby.

In this newly created role, Franklin reports to Gadsby and is charged with leading insights into ethnic and existing/emerging identities. She will also work with global CEO Renetta McCann to roll out these new insights across the agency’s global network and further explore cultural identities around the world. Some of her forthcoming projects will include a proprietary research study on African American consumer behavior and several initiatives to strengthen the networks’ multicultural capabilities.

“Not only is the face of America changing, but identities are changing across the globe,” said Gadsby. “While demographics typically consider cultural nuances, we are quickly learning that inside every culture are several unique communities with distinctive preferences and media consumption habits.  Our ability to speak relevantly to each group is critical to our clients as the multicultural marketplace melds with the general market. E.T. brings remarkable perspective and talent to this endeavor.”

Laura Desmond, CEO, Starcom MediaVest Group The Americas said, “In today’s consumer attention economy, it is more critical than ever to unearth insights that lead to connections that captivate people everywhere.  This passion is the core of our business—it’s what has pushed us so intently into the multicultural marketplace—and what has allowed us to see the future of this space.”

Prior to her new role, Franklin had been SVP/Director, Consumer Context Planning for Starcom USA since 2003. Previously, Franklin spent the majority of her 10-year career with Leo Burnett working on various Philip Morris brands as VP/Planning Director for Marlboro USA, and was instrumental in launching several corporate trend initiatives, including LeoShe and 20Twenty Vision—focused on generating insights into the female consumer and 20-something audience.

Launched in March 2007 with oversight of multicultural communication throughout Starcom MediaVest Group’s (SMG) network, SMG Multicultural includes Chicago-based Tapestry and the newest agency in the network, 42 Degrees at MediaVest (MV42), based in New York. SMG Multicultural is led by CEO Monica Gadsby, a 20-year veteran in multicultural media and trailblazer in the space.




 

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